Gellike absorbent and process of making same



Patent June 2;, 1925."

ROBERT E WILSON, F CAMBRIDGE, MASSAOEUSETTS;ASSIGNOR TO THE BALTIMORE Y GAS ENGINEERING CORPORATION, OF

OF HARYLAND.

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION Gamma ansommnr m rnccass or MAKING a.

No Drawing.

To all .whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT E. WILsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and .5 State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gellike Absorbents and Processes of Making Same, of

which the following is 'a specification.

This invention relates to dense, hard, granular, partially hydrated gel-like absorbents consisting of metallic hydroxides such as the hydroxides of aluminum, chromium, calcium, copper, iron, nickel, cobalt, etc. and to the rocess of making the same. The product is intermediate between, but quite distinct from two widely diiierent products which have previously been known. or example by the dialysis of a colloidal solution of basic ferric chloride for a week 9 or two, using a semi-permeable membrane, it is possible to wash out all the soluble salts and leave an extremely fine colloidal solution of ferric hydroxide, which if care-- fully evaporated down, will produce deep blood-red, semi-transparent, dense particles of true ferric hydroxide gel. This process,

however, is extremely time consuming and difiicult, and it is probable that not more than a few grains have ever been produced at one time-not enough to determine its value for any special purpose. It could certainly not be carried on wlth profit as a commerclal process.

On the other hand, other investigators have made precipitated ferric hydroxides, which they have dried to form. into roughly anular material, and which have been s own to have some absorptive properties. All such anules (of ferrlc hydroxlde for example) ave, however, been soft, li ht yellow or hght red brown in color, with apparent density, and no tendency whatever to transmit light or show a vitreous fracture. These articles resembled soft baked clays more than any other product. Where any specific directions are 'ven for their fpreparation, com lete dehy ration is speci ed.

The pro not of this invention was made after a ve careful stud of all the conditions and 1s also forms by the tion of some iron salt with an allra i, but by the most careful control during preparation of the solutions, precipitation, washing and a low recipita- Application filed January as, 1920. Serial no. 854,680.

especially dr ing, a very different product is obtained precipitation method. It is very hard, dense, has a vitreous fracture and in some respects approaches the true gels in appearance, although it is not so transparent and is very dark red brown rather, than a blood rom any previously made by a red. The best samples hold from 8 to 12% H O after drying several hours in a vacuum gene, superpalite. chlorpicrin, arsine, etc.-

It is essential that it be partially but not completely hydrated,"(about 912% of H 0 being the optimum).

This absorbent maybe used mixed with absorbent charcoal in a gas mask canister as a substitute for soda lime, to which it is superior in efliciency, and the mixture tends to kee the charcoal much drier than when soda. 111119 is used, which is an advantage. The material also has advantages wherever a dense firm structure of iron oxid, metallic iron, or any iron compound is desired for catalytic and other purposes. This iron gel may be treated or reduced in various .ways without entirely destroying its structure, which consists essentially in a porous skeleton of ferric hydroxide permeated by an enormous number of ultramicroscopic ores. Iron produced by reducing the gram: es in hydrogen is very markedly yrophcrie. The gel in its original or modifie form may be used for storage batteryplates, as a catalytie agent in many proc combination of nitrogen and hydro n to form ammonia, etc. where very fine y diactive gell The metallic hydroxid is precipitated from a solution of its salts, for instance, ferric chlorid by means of an alkali,

such ascaustic soda, filtering and drying the product. The age of the solution before precipitation, the'temperature of preci itation, the ressure in t e filter press an the exact meiimd of drying are especially imortant factors. gFrom experiments it was ound that when a precipitate was formed which remained a dark red brown after standing for some time, as several days, the resulting, dried gel which was then obtained was much more active than when the precipitate turned to a lighter color on standm it was found that the length of time the ferric chlorid solution had stood in a diluted condition before mixing withthe caustic soda was ve important. If the precipitation was m e within a short time, say one-half hour. after the solution was diluted, a yellow preci tate (i. e. one slowly turning yellow) was'fhrmed, whereas if the diluted solution was allowed to stand for from one to four days the red-brown precipitate which denotes aneilicient absorbent was produced. It was also foundthata concentration of the reacting solutions of from six to ten percent and a reaction temperature of 30 to (3., gives the best dark red-brown precipitate. This temperature can ordinarily be obtained by the heat of reaction of the solutions. The solution afte vPrecipitation should containa slight excess of alkali for reasons of economy, although a large excess even as high as sixty percent oes not. produce harmful results. Washing by decantation should be very thorough. A fairly high pressure should be used in forming the filter cake, to squeeze out all the excess water.v The tem rature of drying is important, and shou d not exceed 200225 0., should be slow at the start,and is. preferably performed in two stages, as hereinafter de scribed.v I

A method of preparation of this absorbent which has been found to give good results is as follows: ,A six percent solution offerric chlorid water is poured slowly and with constant stirring into a six percent solution of caustic soda, the amount of the caustic soda being slightly inexcess of-the two solutions being- 30 to 40 method of mixing only a trace of-chlorids, the.

.in a

theoretical amount complete recipitation, the ferric c erid solution in made up at least one day before the precipitation and the temperature of the C. The-exact the two solutions is 'unim ortant, except that they should be stirred an the ferric chlorid poured into the alkali notvice versa. The precipitate is washed by decantation until t a wash water shows sludge is filtered prep, blown at to'100 an alkali and oxidized -ric hydroxide, 8 to 14' m which hay'e an apparent density of 1.16 to square inch of air uniform, and packs ina cake about 1 to 2 in. deep in screen bottomed trays which are put immediately into an oven at a rela-- the gel by this treatmentwill be very close to the optimum 813% (based on ignition at a dull red heat). It appears to be of some advantage to boil the sludge for one-half hour before filtering, filter and then subject the precipitate to high pressure. The.

granules thus formed have an apparent density of 1.15 to 1.30, preferably 1.25-1.30, (as determined by weighing 100 c. c. of 814 mesh granules which are introduced into a graduate by dropping through a funnel)= The fines produced by grinding may be mixed withan equal weight of waterand ground in a bble mill for several hours, after which t ey are filtered and dried in the usual-manner and incorporated with a batch of fresh material.

Although in the specific example given above certain definite proportions and cific steps are enumerated it is not inten dtd that this invention be limited to such details but it is desired to claim broadly the new gel-like material and the pr of making the same,'exce as limited by the following claims. or instance, salts of other metals as of aluminum, chromium, calcium,

but the salts of iron have been found to give the best results as a general absorbent. Other alkalies as ammonium hydroxid may replace the caustic soda in precipitating the metallic hydroxid; and sulphate may be precipitated by means of to ferric hydro'xid by (pressure, kneaded until ferrous salts as the an, oxidizing agent such as sodium hypochlorite. The material may be mixedup with charcoal fines, although this greatly decreases its strength.

This absorbent compares favorably with the best activated char-coals, is probably cheaper to manufacture and may also be used as'a charcoal. It also has catalytic properties-and may be reduced to metal or nitrid and still retain its structure. v

I claim as my invention:

1. A gel-like ferric hydroxide containing 8-to 18% combi ed' water, as igniting to a low red heat. 7

2; A-hard, porous,- partiall hydrated ferdehydrator for gases, being more efiicient than determined by I granules of hydroxide mixed with absorbent charcoal.

5. In a process of producing gel-like absorbent's, preparing a dilute solution of a metallic salt which tends to hydrolize in a dilute solution, allowing same to age and then precipitating with an alkaline reagent.

6. In a process of producing gel-like absorbents, preparing dilute solution of ferric salt, allowing same to age and precipitating with an alkali. i

7 In a process of producing gel-like absorbents, preparing a dilute solution of ferric chloride, allowing same to age one 'to four days and then precipitating with dilute caustic soda.

8. In a process of producing gel-like absorbents, washing by decantation an'absorbent material after precipitation and then drying same first at about 110 C. and then about 150 C.

9. In a process of producing gel-like absorbents, washing by decantation an absorbent material after precipitation and then drying same first at about 110 C. in air and then about 150 C. in a vacuum.

10. In a process of roducing gel-like absorbents, washin by ecantation an absorbent material a er precipitation, kneading and then drying same at a relatively low temperature and finally at a relatively higher temperature.

11. In a process of producing gel like .absorbents, preparing dilute solution of ferric salt, allowing same to age one to four days and precipitating with an alkali solution, the strengthsof said solutions being so from (Ho 10%.

' ROBERT E. SON. 

